An important educational innovation began in Greenbrier, Ark., in Tim Stephenson’s at-risk classroom in 1996.
Now Iowa, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania have adopted the program. EAST (Environmental and Spacial Technologies) develops a network among schools, businesses and communities. EAST teaches students how to solve real-world problems using technology as a base and then how to spread those solutions to their communities.
Two beneficiaries of this innovative approach are agriculture and urban students. An example is evolving in J.O. Kelly Middle School in Springdale, Ark., which is the second largest school district in Arkansas and has a record 13 East programs.
Susan Tillery, the EAST teacher or, more appropriately facilitator, had an unused patio outside a back door in her classroom. Being raised on a nearby farm, she realized the space would make a perfect outdoor classroom, as well as a location for a container garden. She initiated a conversation process that included fellow teacher and master builder Mike Luttrell, as well as the businesses of Apple Seeds Inc., Specialized Real Estate Group and Modus Studio which is an architectural design firm.
“People who don’t own land are usually left out of gardening, and many of our students are at risk for food. This project helps on both counts,” Susan explained. “The EAST model empowers students to make a difference in their community and learn powerful, authentic lessons on the way.”
The project has four phases that overlap, especially since the layout of the patio area has been changed since the program began. These phases overlap each other and are part of an ongoing process that will last for years. The first phase is designing and building plant containers, the garden and outdoor classroom. The second is beginning and maintaining the garden and developing instructional pamphlets and videos. The third phase is an outreach to fellow students through workshops for science classes while the last is presenting a “how-to” workshop for residents in local apartments.
“You can give food and feed people for a day, but if you teach people to garden, you feed them for a lifetime,” Susan said. “Since one out of four people in Northwest Arkansas are food challenged, this approach is critical.”
Sixteen Kelly EAST students are involved each year, with each student a member of a four-person team. Currently, one team writes grants and pamphlets while two teams plan and plant the garden using best practices with the last group exploring native plants and developing a rain catchment and usage system.
Also in the works are four raised beds, which may include bench seating for the outdoor classroom on the interior side of each bed.
“I really facilitate more than lead which means I sometimes allow students to make mistakes as part of their learning process though I am always mindful of the consequences of those mistakes and will intervene if a serious mistake is in danger of occurring,” Susan said.
One example of the EAST networking process involves high school students participating in Youth Strategies at the Springdale Jones Center, a community philanthropic center. These students will maintain the gardens during the summer by harvesting, weighing and documenting the produce before distributing it to the Northwest Arkansas Food Bank.
According to Susan’s research, 56 percent of the world lives in urban areas with that number constantly increasing.
The first workshop occurred in April and was funded by a grant from the Blue and You Foundation. All attendees received two bright blue 5-gallon containers with holes drilled in the bottom, in addition to tools, a garden hose, two young plants as well as help filling the containers with rock and potting soil. When attendees left, their completely prepared containers were ready for back porch care. Attendees were also informed that garden space was available for their use as part of a community outreach program called Manna Gardens from the Jones Center.
Savanna Butterfield, who is in eighth grade said, “I was the first student who helped get this project started, and it’s amazing being here today and seeing how far it’s come so quickly.” She then planted a young tomato plant. Hayden Boyd and Daniela Aguilar from the seedling and planting teams were also busy helping people.
Possible future plans include a nearby roof garden, especially for herbs and vertical gardening to maximize space usage, perhaps using palettes to provide a very cost efficient and practical construction solution. This practice can then be taught to food challenged apartment dwellers as well.
“I am proud of both my students and faculty in leading us toward what 21st-century education ought to look like: a partnership made up of the community, businesses and students in which students work with powerful tools and use executive skills to solve real-world problems,” Kelly Middle School Principal Sara Ford said of the program.
